


Red John?

by TheFangirlChick



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-21
Updated: 2013-10-06
Packaged: 2017-12-27 06:18:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/975446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFangirlChick/pseuds/TheFangirlChick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Patrick Jane sat in the passenger seat of the van, his never's on edge, his eye's darting everywhere, but seeing nothing. Only moment's ago had Teresa Lisbon, Grace Van Pelt, Kimball Cho and Wayne Rigsby and a team of agent had ran head first in the lair of Jane's nemesis, Red John. That's when he heard the gun fire.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Patrick Jane sat in the passenger seat of the van, his never's on edge, his eye's darting everywhere, but seeing nothing. Only moment's ago had Teresa Lisbon, Grace Van Pelt, Kimball Cho and Wayne Rigsby and a team of agent had ran head first in the lair of Jane's nemesis, Red John. Lisbon had handcuffed his left hand to the steering wheel in the van, telling him that he needed to stay here. that if he went in there he could get hurt.

They had, of course, an other van with the back set up like a cage, so Red John couldn't get out. Jane sat in the first van and prayed. Prayed that all of them would make it out of this alive.

That's when he heard the gun fire.

He looked at his hand cuffed to the steering wheel and then at the paper clip on the dash board. He picked up the paper clip and single-handedly unlocked the hand cuffs. Jane got of the van and stood, frozen in the street, staring at the barn's, Red John's hide-out's, door's.

Cho walked with his usual impassive expression replaced with a slightly smug look, complete with a smile. Van Pelt and Rigsby came out next smiling and loking as the weight of the world had just been lifted for their shoulder's. Finally Lisbon came out, forcing a guy with short brown hair and green eye's and a cut on his cheek bone like it had been it had been hit to hard and that was bleeding slightly, in hand cuffs though the door's. The guy was wearing jeans and a v-neck t-shirt.

Jane was confused, who had been shot?

Lisbon walked the guy over to the cop car that had the cage and Lisbon locked him in the back, hands cuffed to the seat. Then Lisbon wakled over to Jane, a smug look on her face.

"I really expected you to get out of those cuffs faster," She accused.

"Ha. Ha," Jane said sarcastically, "Who got shot?"

"John, but the bullet only grassed his arm. I punched him the face when he tried to run from Cho," Lisbon said, then she smiled, "We caught Red John."

Jane smiled and laughed, "Yeah, we caught Red John." But something felt off about it...

That's when the screaming started.

A woman with dark-brown-almost-black hair to her shoulder's and brown eye's to match came storming out of the cabin not to far from the barn. She was screaming about letting her husband go and that they'd be hearing from their lawyer's. Behind she pulled a girl who looked about 14 roughly by her arm. This girl had elbow-length dirty blond hair and bright blue eye's. The woman was wearing a pair of jeans and a tank top and the girl was wearing a simple blue dress that fell to her knee's and that accented her eye's nicely.

The girl seemed to be leaning as far away from the woman as she could with her arm stuck within the woman's grasp. The girl couldn't seemed to look at the woman without some form of muffle terror running across her face or in her eye's.

As the pair drew nearer Jane could make out spot's on the girl's face where make up had been poorly applied to conceal what was probably bruises. Here and there on the girl leg's and arm's there were also scars.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Barging into my barn and arresting my husband?" The woman demanded, a look of the utmost severity on her face.

Jane stepped forwards because he was the closest. He opened his mouth to say something but didn't get any further because the woman punched him in the nose. Jane stumbled back as Lisbon stepped forwards.

"You're going have to come with us-" Lisbon was interupted when the woman belted her across her cheek. Imediatly Lisbon backed away and pulled her gun out, as did the rest of the team and the rest officer's who'd charged the hide out. The woman raised her hands in defeat and rolled her eye's in disgust.

Rigsby and Cho cuffed the woman and locked her up opposite her husband in the back of the van. She, too, was cuffed to the seat. Van Pelt went to check on Lisbon and Jane went to check on the girl.

As he approached she studied him wearily. "Are you ok?" Jane asked.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" The girl fired back.

"I'm not the one being abused by my parent's," Jane countered.

The girl studied him closer, saw something that spooked her and she swallowed hard, "Adoptive parents, and how did you know?"

"You mean beside's the scars on your arm's and leg's and the poorly concealed bruises on your face?" Jane asked, causing the girl to flinch, "You seem to want nothing more than to get away from your adoptive mother and you don't really seem to care they're being arrested. One might go so far as to say you actually believe they belong in jail."

"Was the make up job that bad?" The girl asked, causing Jane to laugh. Out of those things he'd said the thing she was worried about was covering up the abuse marks.

"Up close, yeah. If you want I can show you how to cover it properly," Jane offered.

"How do you know about using make up?" The girl asked.

"I had a wife and daughter at one point," Jane said, "They're dead now."

"You think they were killed my 'dad'," The girl accused, "And that's why you're always so sad and you blame your self, that's why you're always so angry at the world, only you try your best to hide it."

Jane looked down at the girl, slightly bemused, "How did you reach that conclusion?"

"You mean besides the fact you couldn't look me in the eye's when you told me about them and the fact the fact you glanced over at that van when you said they were dead?" The girl smirked, "You seem to be the only person hear who didn't relax at all when your girlfriend pulled arrested 'dad'."

"She's not my girlfriend. She's my boss," Jane said.

"But you like her. A lot. Am I right?" The girl asked.

"Give me proof and you're name and I'll answer," Jane offered.

"Deal," The girl answered and that's when Lisbon walked over.

"What deal?" She asked.

"It's nothing," Jane replied, but when Lisbon gave him a look he continued, "I told her that I'd show her how to properly cover those bruises."

"That's it?" Lisbon asked.

"I think there was also a cup of tea involved," The girl said.

"Ok, then. I came over to let you know we're leaving," Lisbon told Jane.

"And?" Jane asked.

"And you'll be in my car." Lisbon told him.

"Fine," Jane said, "Just know it'll happen anyways."

"Whatever help's you sleep at night," Lisbon replied and walked away, towards the van they'd come in.

"If only you knew what would help me sleep at night," Jane muttered and the girl laughed.

"Oh, she know's," The girl said.

"Yeah, not avoiding the doctor so I can get more sleeping pills," Jane said.

"Whatever you say," The girl said and Jane laughed.

"You know something better?" Jane asked.

"Mr. Serial killer does," The girl said, "He'd be more than happy to talk to you about it."

"Then take whatever we talked about away," Jane said, his smile fading slightly.

"Which is why you've almost killed your self trying to catch him," The girl sated more than asked.

Jane sighed, "So you drink coffee but prefer tea?"

"You're proof?" The girl asked.

"Well, you have dark bags under your eye's. That usually means someone tired but you seem wide awake. And you did mention tea while Lisbon was here," Jane reasoned, "I, my self, almost never drink coffee. Except in emergencies."

"Is an emergency being awake for a week straight because you watched your guardian's murder a house full of people, simply because they brought up Red John?" The girl asked, "I love having an abusive serial killer's as the people who adopted me." The girl laughed, but it was humorless.

"Well, you may never have to even hear their names again, if she was helping Red John," Jane said and the girl looked hopeful, "When did you see that?"

"A week ago," The girl replied, "I can show you where the house is if you want."

"Don't tell my boss or co-worker's. They'll hand cuff me to the car again," Jane said.

The girl laughed, "Deal." Then Lisbon honked and they walked to the car. They got in and Lisbon drove to the office.


	2. Chapter 2

Once they got to the office Jane showed the girl to his desk, then went to go make them a cup of tea each. When he got back he found the girl had stretched out comfortably on his couch and Jane saw no evidence that this would change any time soon. He chuckled to himself as he set her tea on the table on the end of the couch where her head was resting. Jane saw her sniff as a breeze coming in from the air vent blew the steam in her face. Then she opened her eye's.

"Honeybush?" She asked.

Jane smiled and shrugged, "It's one of my favorites, however if you'd prefer something else I also have Earl Grey, Lapsang souchong and green tea."

"Nawh, this is fine," the girl said and closed her eye's.

Jane sat on his desk chair for the first time and said, "So, what did you walk in on?"

"Well, first of all I didn't walk in on anything and I'd prefer to talk about this in private if you don't mind and I believe I owe you an explanation and my name," The girl said, "and I understand why you asked for the explanation."

"Why did I then?" Jane asked.

"Because you're worried Red John could see through your act and that he knows you're in love with your boss," The girl explained, "You're worried he'll take her from you the way he took your wife and kids ten year's ago today."

Jane, who was nodding, listening and not really paying much attention, sat up straighter and tiled his head towards the girl, his face turning down slightly as he did so, blocking his mouth from the team's and Lisbon's watchful eye's a few meter's away, "How do you know this?"

"Red John explained to his wife this morning over breakfast about how today was so anniversary and how he had a special celebration planned," The girl told him.

I knew he had an end game, but what's he playing at? Jane though, Why bring his little girl into it? What's she got to... do... with... anything...? Jane studied the girl closer.

She present herself as confident and calm but on the inside she was often panicked and insecure. She wanted to know why he real parent abandoned her. She seemed be able to read people the way Jane could. She had bright blue eye's that were full of pain that was as covered as she could manage. She had a beautiful smile when she did smile genuinely. She had long dirty blond hair and she seemed to like to have it cover her face, hide her from the outside world.

In all honesty Jane though she reminded him of himself. Jane pushed away this thought, no it's not possible, I'm seeing what I want to see, he scolded himself, mentally debating with himself over whether or not this girl was anything like him.

It wasn't until he heard Lisbon calling for him did he realize the girl had sat up and begun to drink her tea. She had a small smile on her face, clear she was reminded of one of the very few rather pleasant memories. Jane briefly wondered what she was thinking about, but didn't have time to think on it much at this time, but he would definitively bring it up later.

"What can I do for you Lisbon?" Jane asked, turning away from the girl on his couch and looked up at Lisbon.

"I was wondering if we could talk in my office for a minute," Lisbon ordered rather than requested. Jane stood and followed her to her office where she closed her door and locked it. Then she closed the blinds. "Take a seat," She ordered, "We need to talk about Red John and his," Lisbon paused slightly, taking in a deep breath, as if she couldn't believe she was actually going to continue and say what she had to, "wife and child."

"The girl's adopted, I can't make a move on Red John and his wife is violent," Jane stated, knowing fully well even LaRoche could figure out the last two.

"Right, his name is Robert Johnson," Lisbon said, "If you can't make a move on him then how will you enact your revenge?" Lisbon asked.

"I'll take his family from him," Jane replied simply.

"You going to-" Lisbon started but Jane interrupted.

"Ask you to send his wife to a separate jail and have them both under close watch and in solitary cells," Jane said.

"Right," Lisbon said, "Cause I wasn't already thinking of doing that."

"If that's all you need from me," Jane said, standing up.

"Bye," Lisbon said.

Jane walked back to his desk and sat on the chair, facing the girl who looked like she'd moved an inch since he left. She had he head tilted downwards and her hair hiding her face again. She asked, "What was that about?"

"Lisbon just wanted to make sure I know better than to kill Red John before he even under goes trail," Jane dismissed, "Now you said something about me loving her?"

"Did I?" asked the girl mildly.

"Yeah. I believe you also promised to tell me your name," Jane replied.

"Right," the girl said, "You get this look on your face, a bit more sparkle in your eye's every time you look at her."

"That's bull," Jane countered, "How could you really tell?"

"Your pupils dilate when you look at," the girl said in defeat, "Slightly though, you suppress it the best you can. Someone not looking for it or not paying attention to that kind of detail would miss it."

"But you noticed it," Jane accused.

"But I noticed it," the girl agreed.

"Fair enough," Jane replied, "And your name?"

"Robert and Diane call me Grace," the girl supplied.

"Grace it is then," Jane said, "You want to go to my attic where we can talk in private?"

"Sure," Grace replied.


	3. Chapter 3

When they reached the attic Jane opened the door and allowed Grace to enter first. She spotted the bed and immediately headed for it. She dropped on in a sitting position and Jane sat next to her. "So, what exactly did you witness?" Jane asked.

Grace flinched slightly, but explained anyways, "They going to go for a drive, and they usually don't bring me along, but they said it was special, they said it was an early birthday present and that I couldn't refuse, but that was suspicious as well, they never remember my birthday before. But I didn't want to cause anything so I got in the car. It looked like we were heading into town until we turned off the highway onto some old dirt road. We reached a house and I could tell there was a party going on because there were quite a few car's parked in front or on the sides. I heard music and they turned to look at me. She told me not to scared and he told me it would be fun. They told me to wait in the car for five minutes, then to come inside." Grace paused slightly, took a deep breath, then continued, "I walked in and saw some blood on the floor, a discarded knife, and a wine glass, broken and it's content's spilled on the floor. I walked into the next room slowly, carefully, scared. I saw at least ten people lined up with their ankles tied, their wrist tied, and they were tied together by a piece of roped tied to their wrists. There was one guy who looked like he was unconscious, and leaning on a woman I assumed was his wife. They were all scared, but she was trembling worse than the other's. They, the ones down stairs now, turned to me, both had a gun and a knife, and they smiled. They asked me to chose one person. One person to die..." Grace took an other deep breath, but when she exhaled it was clear this memory was bothering her.

"If you don't want to continue, I don't want to make you," Jane told her.

"No, it's... I'm fine," Grace replied and continued her story, "When I refused he sent her to get a bucket of cold water, which they then dumped on the unconscious guy. He woke and they killed his wife. Then they killed the men except the guy who was staring at his dead wife. They had finished with the women was this guy stood and pulled out a knife. He threw it and it hit her arm. They shot him and left him to bleed out. Then they turned on me. I went to turn and run but they pushed me into a pool of someone's blood. Then she hit in the face as hard as she could, telling me off for messing up their masterpiece. Then made me watch him die, slowly, painfully, begging for me to help him, and for me to know there was nothing I could do..."

"But you did something," Jane said softly.

Grace turned to face him, tear's in her eye's, "I-" She hesitated, but when Jane nodded she said, "I hypnotized him into a deep, painless sleep until he died."

"Where'd you learn that?" Jane asked, surprised.

"There was a hypnotist that came to my school a while ago. He asked for some volunteer's and he picked me and a few other people. During the show he noticed it wasn't working on me and asked if I could help him with the rest. He told me what to do and I kind of got this random guy to wet himself in front of the whole school," Grace looked down, then up at Jane through her hair when he started to laugh.

"I somehow doubt that's the type of 'relax' you meant," Jane said once he'd sobered up a bit, but they both fell about laughing at that. It took a few minutes, but eventually they stopped laughing.

"So..." Grace once they had stopped, "When do you want me to take you?"

"We could go now if you think you can manage to sneak past the CBI agents," Jane said.

"I repeat, when do we go?" Grace asked, a little impatiently, causing Jane to give a small laugh. He stopped abruptly when he saw the look on Grace's face though.

"I thought only LaRoche and Lisbon could pull of that look," Jane said, then, seeing Grace was clearly not amused, he said, "I know a way out, follow me." Jane climbed out on the balcony and then onto the fire escape. He descended down a few floors, until he came to a conference room he knew was not used often. He climbed in the window, then helped Grace through, because there was a bit of a drop through the window. Then He lead he to a set of stair and out into the parking lot.

"Well, this is my car," Jane announced as he unlocked it, "I'm driving, you can tell me where to go."

"Right," Grace said as she climbed into the passenger seat.

"Do you want to go back?" Jane asked.

"No," Grace said truthfully, "But if it keeps me away from them, I'd do almost anything."

"Would you kill or seriously injure someone?" Jane asked.

"Never, not for anything," Grace replied immediately.

"Even after you grew up with them?" Jane shook his head, "I'm impressed."

Grace blushed and looked down, "Let's go."


End file.
